Message 9/68
Date: 04-Mar-00 @ 10:19 AM -
RE: What makes Goa, Goa
Indian scales. There are every combination possible in Indian scales. North Indian is NOT microtonal. 12 tones are used. However the notes when sung are slid to rather than jumping from one to the next which we tend to do in the west, so their scales sound different. BTW Indian instruments were created to mimic vocal ability as closely as possible. This is why the sitar, sarod, sarangi (amazing instrument) were built to slide between notes.
A very popular Indian minor scale is Bhairavi. Below is the basic scale, but during most performances all notes are used. Playing Bhairavi is considered a master's art.
There are scales with: flat 3rd and flat 6th...flat 2nd, flat 3rd and flat 6th....flat 2nd, flat 3rd, sharp 4th, no fifth and flat 6th. All other notes are natural in the above mentioned.
Using pitch bend will begin to emulate the sound of an Indian melody if that is ever what you are looking for. If you can control pitch bend enough to be able to dance around accurately between 2 to 12 notes, your in good shape. I've tried and it would take some real practice. I wonder if some pitch bend wheels are better for accuracy than others. A real can of worms there.